The Child of Necessity
by Aerieada
Summary: When Percy returned with what seemed to be a demigod, no one at Camp could have foretold who he would turn out to be. When Alex is kidnapped by a strange ancient Grecian cult, he causes and is supposed to heal a war in a world that he doesn't believe in.
1. First Impressions

Percy glided along the shadows of the desert alley, stalking his prey. The monster attacks had been converging on this spot nearly a month now, and he was going to put an end to it once and for all.

He smelled the harpy before he saw it. The monster, however, didn't even notice him. It was already engaged in battle, and a losing one at that. Percy halted abruptly and watched in a mix of confusion and awe as a blonde boy struck the neck of the bird/human hybrid with such force that the monster actually crumpled. A swift kick to the head ensured it would not rise for some time.

But the monster wasn't dead. Percy was about to run up and finish it off when he was pinned to the wall behind him. The boy lunged at him and snatched the dagger from his belt before he could react. A quick slitting of the harpy's throat reduced it to sand, quickly blown away by a sudden breeze. As the boy stood recuperating from the fight, breathing heavily, Percy tried to remove the throwing knife that had attached the leather strap of his armor to the wall behind him. To his surprise, it was embedded so deeply in the cement that Percy was forced to slice the strap. Now finally free, Percy approached the boy warily, his now slightly insecure armor shifting. He was obviously dangerous, and he had a knife. Percy fingered his pen. Anaklusmos, Riptide. Before he could unsheathe the faithful companion, however, the boy had him flat on his back, winded. The weapon rolled out of reach, still just a pen.

"Who are you?" the boy hissed, dragging him up into a sitting position, the dagger at his throat. "The truth."

Percy closed his eyes, admitting that he would be overpowered in combat and hating it. Instead, he mentally reached out for the fire hydrant less than a foot to his left. The force of the water would push the blade away from his neck.

For a moment he hesitated. He didn't exactly understand the situation. What if there was some misunderstanding? What if he was making things worse? But then the dagger pressed harder into his skin, and Percy decided to act first and worry later.

The boy was caught completely off guard as the torrent crashed into him, sending him flying into the opposite wall. By the time the water seeped away, he was crumpled and Percy had not moved an inch.

Percy rose and, once he had ensured that the boy was in fact unconscious, he inspected his person. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, and if Percy had not seen what he had done, he would have thought him quite ordinary. Was he a demigod?

_Only one way to find out. _Percy hoisted him up and set off to the place he had instructed Blackjack to stay.

* * *

><p>The boy made it past the barrier, but with a curious difficulty. While Percy passed easily, the boy appeared to move through some sort of sticky gel. He did get through, though, and Percy made a beeline for Chiron, ignoring the curious stares of the other campers.<p>

The centaur was not surprised when Percy burst into the infirmary in the dead of the night with an unconscious and very soaked child. _A demigod, of course. I expected as much._ He was, however, rather caught off guard when said unconscious child lunged up from the bed, sent Percy and two medics to the ground, and disappeared out of the window.

* * *

><p>Alex had woken up long before. After all, he was trained to fight through the stages of oblivion, and recovered far more quickly than that the average person. His captors, though, did not need to be prematurely enlightened to that fact. Alex was also trained to feign a convincing comatose state. He was brought onto something flat, probably resembling a bed. Knowing that restraints may soon follow, he leapt into action to moment he was freed of his carriers' grip. Instinctively lashing out at the boy that had knocked him out, he then turned on the two other standing figures and dispatched them with quick jabs. The man in the wheelchair posed no immediate threat, and seeing others rush over confirmed the decision that escape was the first priority.<p>

Alex now was flattened on the roof of a curiously Greek building. In fact, the entire place seemed to be something right out of the ancient Mediterranean empire, complete with people in leather tunics and linen dresses feasting on something roasting over a huge bonfire. Right now, however, he didn't spare much thought to the fact except to calculate the pros and cons of such a setting. There were far more places to hide, and the firelight left many shadows. The roofs, like the one he was in now, had many natural nooks of darkness, and he would not be conspicuous.

Beneath him, Alex heard shouted orders. He watched incredulously as a small but very fast boy sprinted to the raised platform in the central clearing and blew – of all things – a salpinx. The people gathered around him in a sea of upturned faces, and for a moment he basked in the attention before the crowed parted for another figure, who commandingly replaced him on the platform.

Alex could indistinctly make out the gist of the announcement. They were looking for him, obviously, and there was something about Ares and Hermes. That fitted well with the surroundings. A cult, perhaps? Most of the people – whom Alex noticed seemed rather young, like himself – went back to their dinner, and the conversation flared. A good amount, however, broke away and remained gathered around the speaker. From his experience with the SAS, he knew they were receiving orders. What happened next, though, would have bewildered even a seasoned spy.

At least half of the chosen group donned dark, tight clothing and gathered in a huddle to exchange words and perhaps other items before skulking off. The remainder took up metal armor and weapons like swords and axes. They resembled a miniature ancient Grecian army. There was not a gun in sight, but Alex knew better than to underestimate based on the seen. He couldn't help but admire the organized, if exceedingly outdated unit that spread out from the clearing in clean, regular rings.

Still, they weren't the ones he had to worry about. Surely the people in the shadows were sent to locate him and signal to the others. In fact, Alex picked up on a quiet padding of feet on the roof just next to his. He ran a mental inventory. There was a small pistol strapped to his leg, and a tranquilizer gun was concealed in his shirt. His jacket lining contained a variety of blades. His shoes carried four small explosives. And his belt buckle could emit a powerful electric shock if the holes in the "leather" were pressed in the correct sequence. He was very surprised that the enemy had not stripped him of anything. In fact, nothing even seemed disturbed. Of course, they may have tampered with all of his weapons without his knowledge. _Better to overestimate than underestimate, at least in this case._

The footsteps drew closer, careful but balanced. The range was close and the angle rather awkward for weapons, and he wanted to check his equipment before using it. Hand-to-hand stealth incapacitation it was, then.

Alex waited until the person was past him before sliding soundlessly out of his cover and delivering quick jabs to the temples. Catching the boy before he fell or made noise, Alex bounded down from the short building silently and laid him across the ground. He then relieved the boy of his clothes, noticing with a mix of relief and suspicion that they were about the same age. Alex re-secured his guns and replaced some of his clothing with the boy's, keeping his shoes and knife-laced jacket. He hit the boy again, with a bit of guilt, just to make sure he was and would stay unconscious, and hid him in some heavy shrubbery. It would be a while before he was found.

Knowing he would most likely not have the luxury of such a thorough cleanup at his next encounter, Alex resolved to take as few risks as possible, and to maintain secrecy as his main concern.

But where would he go from here? Alex had no idea where he was. And with those strange attackers recently … the safest plan would be to lie low and gather more information before heading out. Perhaps he could hide on an outgoing vehicle. The place would need outside resources some time.

Or not, he mused, as he crept about in his search for a hideout. The institution seemed largely self-sufficient. In fact, he spotted bountiful farm produce growing in one of the yards of the many cabins lined up in a semi-organized fashion, and there seemed even to be a blacksmith.

Alex finally decided on a tree in the thick of the small woods by the main facilities. It was heavily branched and very leafy, and its crown was impossible to see into. It was also a rather obvious hiding spot, so Alex needed to move as soon as he regained more of his bearings. But the sun was going to come up in at most another half hour, so he would stay here for now.

He could hear a soldier moving nearby. It was hard to maintain subtlety in the heavy getup. Alex guessed that they relied on their scouts to find him, and this was mostly a patrol in case he managed to get all the way to the outskirts of the camp. The clunking figure passed without suspicion. Why didn't anyone ever really look up? Still, it was to be expected, and certainly in Alex's favor.

What was much unexpected and certainly not in his favor was the disappearance of the tree.

Alex was recovering from the fall when a very pretty, very female, and very inhuman face peered down on him. "Well, well!" she exclaimed with a volume and sort of fascination that made Alex uneasy. "Look what we have here!"

Alex was well recuperated now, and no freakish tree lady was blowing his cover. He struck her with a knife hand in the head and ran off, only to be hindered by another pair – no, two, three, four pairs of hands. This time they were not playful, but angry.

"What did you do, boy?"

"You hurt one of us, you deal with all of us."

More figures joined in, the trees vanishing from view, replaced by furious beings bearing down upon him.

They were all weak, Alex could feel. They were lean, but not very strong. Still, breaking their grip would only cause them to become more irate. And there were just so many! _As many as there were trees in the grove, _he speculated humorlessly.

* * *

><p>AN: What do you think? Worth continuing?


	2. Second First Impressions

Clarisse scowled ferociously. It was daybreak; it had been five hours. It shouldn't have been this hard, dammit! Where the hell was the stupid boy? He was just an untrained demigod! Sure, he'd knocked out Percy, but c'mon, any weakling could do that. Why weren't her warriors getting results?

Her mood was not improved when Annabeth (it had to be her, of _all_ people!) and half a dozen Athena campers dragged in the very boy her troops had failed so miserably to retrieve. Well, hers and Hermes cabin's.

She stomped up and blew the salpinx maliciously, calling them back. Oh, those "scouts" would have Tartarus to pay…

"You!" she shrieked at the first Hermes boy she saw, who was suddenly regretting being so quick on his feet. "Why didn't you find him? Why? _Your_ incompetence made _my_ soldiers trek the camp for hours without purpose! You idiots! You imbeciles! You –"

"Clarisse," Charon said sharply. She hadn't noticed him, too busy being irate. "Please step down. Annabeth," he gestured, "introduce him."

Fuming, Clarisse glared at Annabeth viciously before storming down. The crowd gave her a wide berth. The Hermes cabin would be on edge for the rest of the week.

Annabeth took it all in stride, calmly motioning for her six followers to bring the boy onto the platform. A ripple of surprise passed through the audience – it wasn't exactly normal for a newly-discovered demigod to be brought in at swordpoint, much less three swordpoints at his throat and three more warriors standing ready.

"This," Annabeth announced, unfazed by the murmurs, "is Alex. He has been, we believe, on the receiving end of many monster attacks for the almost the past month, and has been holding his own." More chatter – Annabeth had difficulty continuing. "He, ahem HE HAS, excuse me, ahem, SHUT UP! Thank you. He has yet to acclimate to Camp Half-Blood, and had put up quite the resistance when being retrieved. You can get the details there from Percy – quiet! – _later_. He has not been claimed. Now, I know that it is traditional to place him in the Hermes cabin, but considering the circumstances … I would advise against that. Charon?" Her eyes wandered over to the centaur for the final decision.

"Yes…" Charon trailed off, in thought. "You seven stay behind; we'll discuss this."

Annabeth nodded, satisfied. "Anyone have anything else to say?"

A smattering of hands rose, but a single patronizing voice cut through the rabble. "May I?"

Silence reigned as all eyes and ears strained towards this new and mysterious arrival, just visible behind the flashes of bronze.

Annabeth started with surprise, again glancing at Chiron. "Yes?" she questioned hesitantly.

Confident eyebrows rose condescendingly. "Isn't it fundamental etiquette when speaking to a crowd to allow the speaker to see the people? And in turn, the audience may view the addresser?"

As far as Annabeth knew, there was no particular rule, but … "Unhand him, but keep your swords at his back."

"Much obliged," the boy said sarcastically. Now that he was in better view, he could be identified as somewhat handsome, especially in the dawn light. But his attitude was … off-putting. "That was a rather concise debriefing," he continued, addressing Annabeth still. "Not excellent, but decent considering the circum—"

He never finished the word. Though his voice remained even to the last, he suddenly dropped and used his leg to sweep two of the guards off of their feet. A tiny grenade tossed to the side of the platform created the diversion he'd wanted and needed. The supports on one side broke, causing mass pandemonium and the perfect opportunity to escape. Alex clung to the rising side of the platform and waited for it to stop moving before adeptly sliding to the ground and slipping away.

Annabeth swore as she caught sight of the boy disappearing into the crowd. He had humiliated her and her cabin – had escaped all of them. Her shoe was caught under the now-sideways platform, but she abandoned it and ran half-barefoot to track the boy. Whipping her eyes desperately about, she thought she spotted a flash of blonde moving perpendicularly to the current of the evacuating crowd. But she was too far away. She would never get to him in time.

"Need a lift?" Annabeth looked up to see Percy on Blackjack offering her his hand. She took it gratefully and landed in front of him with a strong jump. Percy seemed nonplussed, but this was her embarrassment to amend for, her honor that needed to be satisfied. "There!" she pointed to the darkly dressed boy who had almost managed to get out of the crowd.

Blackjack swooped low and the boy looked up for one second before Percy scooped him up and placed him between himself and Annabeth. Blackjack protested. His back was getting crowded and heavy.

"Thanks, Percy," Annabeth turned to flash an appreciative smile. "That –"

She froze.

Somehow, inexplicably, the boy had gotten behind Percy and now held a steel blade to his throat. The boy's eyes were cold, and Annabeth felt shivers up her spine.

"Do nothing," he commanded with a threatening undertone that promised painful retribution if his demands were not met. "Stay in the air. Tell me exactly where we are geographically."

Annabeth was shocked, to say the least. Her eyes met Percy's. His gaze flicked to Blackjack urgently. She understood. She would keep him distracted while Percy maneuvered the Pegasus to a more advantageous position.

"Calm down," Annabeth began. It was standard for situations like this, but she felt stupid saying it. As if in confirmation of her idiocy, the boy's eyes were radiating derision.

"I am not," he cut in, "a hotheaded maniac. You know this perfectly. I am also not unaware of what you are attempting to do. Do not try to distract me or stall. Answer my question. Now. Where am I?"

"Camp Half-Blood," Annabeth choked out. "A camp for demigods." She hoped this would throw the boy.

It did. For a moment, his calculating mask slipped. Just a moment. "Demigods?" his voice betrayed the slightest amount of interest. "The _truth_, if you don't mind. If you do not think you friend would mind."

Annabeth flinched as the knife was pressed deeper into Percy's neck. _Bastard. Still, the story of the demigods is a long one…_

* * *

><p>Percy almost laughed at the ridiculously similar situation. His meetings with the boy, all two of them, seemed to lead to the exact same result. He was sitting with a blade at his throat, the boy making threats for truthful information as it dug into his skin. It was about to end the same way, too. <em>Edge on over to the river, Blackjack. Be subtle, no sudden movements.<em>

_But it's cold by the river!_

_Blackjack…_

_Does this get me extra oats?_

_I have a knife at my throat._

_Yeah, yeah, I know. Comic relief, y'know?_

_Just do it, _please!

Percy could feel the water calling to him now. Just a little closer…

For better or for worse, he never got to use it. A daughter of Apollo had managed to creep up on them, and released an arrow that sent the boy plummeting to the ground.

* * *

><p>"…agreed not to…"<p>

Alex felt something pierce his side, and Annabeth's voice grew fainter. _Of all the blasted luck._ Why didn't he think that the others would have airborne vehicles too? He should've been more careful. And then the agony set in.

He was falling, and the motion set off a natural innate fear within him. Normally he would have controlled it easily, but with the pain in his side (an arrow just under his ribs, some small part of him noted) he could not prevent a scream from escaping his lips. At the moment he cared little for the principle of suffering in silence.

All he knew was pain, pain, pain as he crashed onto the ground below, on the same side that he had been wounded. He must've twisted in midair. Now his entire left side was howling in anguish. Alex vaguely registered the pounding of many running feet (and was that the sound of a canter?) before he succumbed to the blackness. _Of all the bloody, blasted luck._

* * *

><p>AN: Yes, yes, not as exciting. But the n ext chapter will be up soon, I promise!

Thanks for all of the reviews! I cherish them all, especially considering how little traffic crossovers get compared to normal stories.

Mainn and Roshane: Yeah, I feel like I should give Alex some edge in combat, especially since he's facing some imposing people.

Anonymous (sorry, your name doesn't show up on my computer): Not exactly where I was heading, but you should write a story with that plot!

Everyone else, thanks! You definitely remind me to write when I forget in the maelstrom of my life.


	3. Luxury Dungeons

A/Alex awoke again in a hospital bed, but this time with huge bronze shackles and restraints. He'd expected to find them, and was actually a bit surprised that it had taken them this long to secure him. Amateurs. It took two unconscious members, two hostage situations, and a destroyed clearing for them to finally develop some sense.

Not, of course, that it was any advantage to him. He hoped they would keep underestimating him, but he was in a room of marble, taller than it was wide or long; the only door was on the roof, far out of his reach even if he'd flipped the bed upright. Now that he thought about it, this rather resembled a fancy dungeon. It probably was one. A Greek one.

Attempting to sit up, Alex found himself hindered by not only the heavy chains but also the throbbing pain in his side. He vaguely recalled what had happened. The arrow was at close range, and it would have torn a much larger wound than a bullet, if not as deep.

Surprisingly, he felt as though he was being administered a heavy dose of painkiller, but he was hooked up to absolutely nothing at all. No IV, no oxygen, not even a pulse monitor. How on earth was he going to get through this with no treatment? He would have to get to a proper hospital, with a gash in his side that could get infected, if it wasn't already.

He wasn't allowed enough slack from his restraints to check, though, so he laid back and waited for someone to come. Soon enough, a boy came down the trapdoor via an unfurling ladder. Alex would be able to take advantage of that. Even if they cut the ladder, he would have a hostage. As soon as he had freed himself and was feeling better than someone shot with an arrow at almost point blank, of course. Oh, it was as if they were handing him unarmed civilians – wait, were they…?

The boy strode over and took his pulse and temperature with unequipped ease. "Much better," he concluded with the authority and confidence of a professional doctor. "You'll be walking slowly in a day or two, provided you're sane enough not to try to kill anyone again." He rolled his eyes. "I'm Will Solace, son of Apollo."

Apollo. Patron of medicine, Alex remembered. Also, ironically, god of archery along with his virgin sister Artemis.

"Did one of your sisters shoot me?" Alex was glad his voice was not slurred with the drugs.

"Did you destroy the clearing, knock out seven people, and threaten Percy Jackson at knifepoint?" he retorted rhetorically. Then he shook his head, and his expression softened. "But I bet this is a lot for you to take in. You'll get used to it." He smiled slightly. "I'll check on you tonight. This," he pressed something small and round to Alex's forehead, "is to let me know if you have undergo a drastic change. Stay rested, though, and you'll be fine."

The circle glowed warm on his head, and despite how much the thought of a tracker disturbed him, Alex felt his eyelids drooping. He was asleep before the ladder was hauled up and the trapdoor closed with a quiet thump.

* * *

><p>Annabeth fussed over Percy's trauma.<p>

"This exact same thing happened when you retrieved him? The _exact_same thing? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think the details were important," Percy mumbled. "I got him, didn't I?" So maybe Annabeth wasn't fussing over _him_in particular.

"If only I had _known_ … c'mon, _try_to think, Seaweed Brain. He knocked out three people – including _you_," Percy flinched, "at the infirmary, he managed to stuff a Hermes spy into the bushes and evade the rest of them for five _hours_, and the only reason we found him _then_ was that he didn't know about the dryads. I would _never_ have let him go _anywhere_ without a _dozen_ sharp things threatening every _angle_ of him if you'd _told_ me that the only reason _you_survived _your_ encounter with him was that there was a _fire_ _hydrant_ handy!"

Percy could tell by the increased emphasis and gritting of teeth that Annabeth was very, very annoyed. Not only had she and her cabin been humiliated, she didn't even get a chance to redeem her honor. He really couldn't think of anything appropriate to say.

"I would have _survived_ …" Pathetic, really.

Annabeth thought so too. "You conceited $%&* of a !#$%&*() -" She let loose with a torrent of curses, and Percy reluctantly admitted inside that he may have deserved it.

* * *

><p>Three days later, Alex was up and running, literally. At first he had been wary about the "ambrosia and nectar" (this cult was serious), but since they were wasting this much effort on him, he probably wasn't going to get poisoned. So far, he hadn't been.<p>

Whatever medical schemes they had worked, too. There was only a mild scar over the wound, an incredible progression in only a couple of days. Alex felt fine, he was taken off of the painkillers, and, thank heaven, the circle on his forehead was removed. Alex knew what he needed to do to recover, and there was no point in delaying by staying up late. He earned confidence in Will's eyes to be responsible. The boy was always complaining about other patients that wanted to get up right away. To be honest, Alex had the exact same desire, but there was no harm in playing nice until the moment of attack. The element of surprise was a powerful thing, as was trust. Someone came daily to see if he had any questions about Camp Half-Blood. Alex found that if he smiled and acted as though he believed them, they would be relieved and remove his shackles for the day, only reattaching them apologetically at night. Last night they were taken from the room altogether.

These people were insane, but it all worked out nicely. If they thought he was a "demigod", he should be able to simply walk out. And so he was brimming with anticipation as he was led out of the torchlit dungeon.

A man who was dressed as a horse from the waist down greeted him in the sunlight. Briefly Alex was reminded of GameSlayer, but he pushed that thought away. Smile, nod, and edge away from the maniacs. Then run. Knowing his luck, he would either get away unnoticed or this was a trap and he'd be killed.

The "centaur" – he called himself Chiron – gave him a tour of the place. In other words, he was handing Alex a mental map. Things were turning out better than expected. "This is the arena," he announced. "It is used often for practice and occasionally for duels. I won't be expecting you to pick any … more … fights during your first month at least. And here is the dining hall. Sometimes we eat outside for special occasions. Here, finally …" Alex had to sprint to catch up with Chiron's very sudden canter, but managed to keep in pace, earning himself a glance of approval. "… are the cabins. Each camper lives in the cabin associated with their divine parent. For now, you'll be in the Hermes cab—" Chiron's voice stopped for just a moment, but Alex heard it. His mind flashed back to the morning when Annabeth had warned against traditional proceedings. "—in, until you are claimed by a god or we know enough about your abilities to have no doubts about your heritage. Get settled, and then go to the arena for assessment." When Alex nodded, Chiron walked off majestically.

Deciding to escape during night or a meal, when the camp wasn't abuzz with activity and there weren't so many eyes watching his every move, Alex jogged to the "Hermes" cabin. No one heard him approach or open the door, but then one small girl caught sight of him and all too quickly the entire noisy place was silent.

Finally, a pair of identical boys walked up to him and cocked their heads to the side with a mischievous smile. Their effortless harmony was a bit eerie, and completely overshadowed the fluidity of the SAS Units, although they had been impressive in their internal coordination.

"You must be Alex, the boy who wreaked mass,"

"havoc days ago. Don't be surprised if you're never"

"leaving this cabin, 'cause you seem to fit"

"right in. I'm Connor, by the way, and"

"I'm Travis Stoll. We're the cabin"

"counselors. Come on in."

A bit thrown by the sentence spoken completely and solely by one twin, Alex stepped into the cabin. It was as if some spell had been broken, and suddenly the rather cramped and sloppy place became even louder than before.

"Dude, that was awesome!"

"Where'd you get a bomb? Did you make it?"

"How'd you slip by without me seeing you?"

"You gave Gabe a concussion."

The quiet statement ground the conversation to a halt for the second time in so many minutes. This was legendary.

"I'm sorry?" Alex had already worked out who Gabe was – the boy he'd struck comatose, clearly – but he was trying to find a response to what would probably come next.

The answer came from a girl in a corner who emitted a strong aura of calm which seemed completely out of place in the raucous rabble. "Gabe. The boy you attacked and threw into the briars. He's in the infirmary with a concussion." A simple statement of fact, but the Hermes cabin had no patience for that sort of thing.

"Awww… you're such a killjoy…"

"That's Lydia, there, Alex. Don't mind her. She's second gen."

"Her dad was a son of Hermes, but her mother was a daughter of—"

"Hestia!"

"Of aaaaalll goddesses!"

"Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes got stuck here 'cause _neither_of her parents claimed her. Hermes though she was too stuck-up and high-and-mighty…"

"I think so too!"

"…and Hestia thought she was too rambunctious. If you ask me, though…"

"She belongs in Hestia!"

"She's only pulled off what, three pranks this month? And baby ones, too."

"Doesn't want to 'hurt anyone' or 'cause dispute'. Ew."

In all the excitement of insulting Lydia, no one noticed Alex slipping away.

* * *

><p>Technically, he should be escaping right about now. But he wanted to test the waters a little more, and instinct drove him to find out as much as possible. Besides, what other chance was he going to get to train with ancient Grecian weaponry?<p>

Alex paused in his sneaking off, straightened, and strolled towards the arena. Curse his curiosity.

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, not much happens here. But bear with me (and review!), and I'll update soon.

All reviewers are awesome as usual!

Mara jade chase: Thanks for catching that! '~' And thanks for your feedback. I'll try to stay unbiased.

HyperJuggarnaut: This is an AU where everything at Camp Half-blood is like what it was in the middle of the series, but the whole thing with Kronos is over.


	4. Tattoo

Annabeth peered suspiciously at the figure walking towards them. "Are you sure about this?"

"It's the perfect test," Percy replied.

"Yes, I _know_, I _planned_ this … but what if he actually gets away?"

"He won't. Not this time. And I trust the H—"

He fell silent as the boy came closer, almost within earshot.

"Hey Alex," Percy called out, trying his best to seem excited. "We need to tell you about _initiation._"

The blonde had an expression of interest. "Initiation?" He asked, pausing a few feet away from them.

"Yeah, all the newbies go through it. You go out into the world of humans and face an enemy to unlock your godly powers." It took all of Percy's willpower not to sound sarcastic.

Alex's face didn't flicker. "When is this?"

Percy grinned. "Now. Come on, follow us."

* * *

><p>Alex was absolutely, incredulously stunned. They were leading him out. Letting him outside of their security, turning their backs to him. Still, he had to admit that it fell into the pattern of the place. For a camp that claimed to hold descendants of the goddess of wisdom, none of their protocol seemed very smart.<p>

They passed through a gate, where two young soldiers stood at attention. Words were exchanged, and they exited the camp, walking along a forested path.

Alex was relatively sure that no one was following. This just seemed too…for a moment he doubted the entire situation, but then he saw the perfect opportunity, the perfect opening, and he just couldn't let it pass.

He lashed out at the dark-haired boy, but the moment before he would have struck Alex was seized by a powerful, stinging spasm that sent him onto his knees, with the all-too-familiar tendrils of darkness creeping in on his vision.

* * *

><p>"Well," Annabeth said, looking down at the stunned and unconscious figure lying on the ground. "Now we know two things. Alex is not to be trusted, and the Hephaestus cabin should make more of these defense charges."<p>

"Yeah…" Percy sighed. "I guess we take him back now?"

"Chiron won't be pleased."

* * *

><p>Although Alex was by now used to sitting in a cell while people went off and decided his fate, the unusual circumstances made it more wearying this time. He fingered the small linear tattoo on the inside of his upper arm, feeling the unfortunately familiar sensation of the pattern swirling before it vibrated and stopped cycling. Apparently, this wasn't a life-threatening situation.<p>

He closed his eyes and sighed, organizing his thoughts and pieces of known information. Less than a month ago…

_He was laughing with Fred Gumms, saying goodbye. Espionage was the last thing on his mind; he had not been contacted by an intelligence agency for the entire year since he had moved to the United States with the Pleasures. The last assassin had come and gone for about the same time. So he was surprised when a gang of tall men appeared out of a back alley, cornering him._

_Suddenly, the inside of his upper arm began to tingle. Subconsciously gripping it, his hand came away with a single bronze dart. He had no time to wonder as the men underwent a horrific metamorphosis and fused into a single terrifying creature. Its multiple snakelike heads lunged at Alex, who was completely occupied for a moment with dodging the surreal attacks. The mouths of the creature were lined with gigantic teeth, and no doubt a single bite would kill Alex. _

_He should have been frozen with fear. Instead, he took it all in stride, adroitly dodging the creature's attacks and looking for openings. Finally he noticed that one of the heads was predominately charged with protecting the creature's core. If he could lure it away…_

_Alex __made __his __way __over __to __the __head, __which __gazed __at __him __suspiciously._Now or never. _He__jumped__up__over__the__head,__giving __it __the __perfect __opportunity __to __snatch __him __up. __If __not, __he __would __land __on __it. __Whether __to __kill __him __or __protect __itself,__the__head__should__move__away__from__its__body._

_His plan went awry when another head came down and caught the collar of his shirt. Alex knew, then, that he was going to die. The head below him reared and laughed._

_For a fraction of a second, it left an opening for the approximate location of its heart._

_Alex felt the dart leave his hand with a flick of his wrist, flying almost of its own accord as it plunged into the monster's core. At first the heads around him looked amused, and the head that had caught him tossed him up, opening its jaws in anticipation of the falling morsel._

_It never got the pleasure. Something must have happened in the dart, probably a released poison. A thick bed of sand cushioned the very confused Alex's fall._

_Alex remembered the tingling on his arm. He looked at it. He had always had a faint birthmark on this rather inconspicuous spot, but now it resembled a tattoo, a swirling figure-8 of snakes and chains. It slowed to a stop, and when Alex put his hand on it did not stir._

_Oddly enough, he remained composed even as the reality of the situation slammed into him. It was as if the tingling in his arm – which had provided a life-saving piece of equipment – had also released a calming substance that held his natural hysteria at bay and granted him a cool rationality._

_Over the next month Alex had many of these encounters – too many. Even when he fought in plain sight of a witness, she or he never reacted beyond what was expected by someone who saw a mugging. Almost every time, the tattoo would swirl and tingle, and Alex would be provided with a weapon of some sort._

_He slowly began to see a pattern. All of his attackers were dressed as monsters from Greek mythology. Also, he was forced to defeat some of the weaker ones with nothing from the tattoo. If he could handle something on his own, apparently, the tattoo let him handle it on his own. _

_Alex began to outfit himself with an assortment of weapons which never left his person._

_So when the bird woman – the harpy – flew at him, and he put his hand to his arm expecting help and there was none, he knew there was something else. The monster seemed no weaker, and it could fly, but Alex managed to knock it out and bizarrely enough there was a boy with a dagger in his belt sneaking towards him. Alex' throwing knife did little to the harpy, so he used it instead to pin the boy to the wall and steal his weapon. Surely enough, it was the odd bright bronze that had been characteristic of everything that materialized from the tattoo. He made quick work of the harpy and turned to the boy, knowing that this may be his one chance of getting answers about what the hell was happening. But for some inexplicable reason, the fire hydrant exploded and he crashed against a wall. And here he was now._

Jackson was a "son of Poseidon", apparently. Perhaps he did have a certain degree of hydrokinesis, or carried a gadget that allowed him to attract water. Either way, Alex thought as he rubbed his arm, Jackson had brought Alex here and now there were people offering an explanation for everything.

Still…a demigod? That was too far "out there" even for somewhere who had faced off thugs and maniacs intent on world domination, Alex's death, or both.

_How else would you explain the monsters, the tattoo?_

_Umm…rival cult? Weird gadget I was a tester for that only activated now?_

Alex groaned. He was arguing with himself in his head. Sounded like a textbook sign of insanity.

The door above the stairway leading aboveground opened with a creak. Alex was in a dungeon, a far less pleasant one this time. Still, the temperature was fine and the amenities decent, even if the fire-reliant lighting was a bit dim. Alex had been in far, far worse. These people were either soft or were still trying to convert him.

A girl that Alex had not seen before tentatively made her way over to his cell. She carried a tray of food which she slid through a slot into his cell quickly as if she was afraid of being hurt. Alex smiled bitterly at inspiring such fear. "Nectar and ambrosia?" he questioned a bit mockingly.

"What? No. you're not injured anymore. This is bread and roast lamb. And water. The nectar and ambrosia are not given to people in the dungeons. Not while we have such a demand for it in the infirmary." A glint of resentment broke through her timid shell. _So __even __the __shy __ones __hate __me. __Maybe __they__'__ll __throw __me __out __voluntarily._

The girl slipped away even more quietly than she had entered, as if making up for her uncharacteristic speech. Alex inspected the food and found the meat to possess a half ounce or so of useable grease. Not bad. He removed the simple lockpick from its almost permanent residence in his hair and oiled the hinges of the cell door. These people didn't seem to have any cameras or sensors, but you never know…

* * *

><p>Some things were not spoken of in Olympus.<p>

No, they were not taboo. They were simply…forgotten. Taken for granted.

And thus, no one noticed – or, really, was able to notice — primordial Ananke when she floated down invisible onto the earth sixteen years ago, assessing its males.

The chosen male himself had no idea what he was doing, and with whom. It was all too ethereal for a mortal to accept as anything but a dream. In fact, the married man would feel guilty for such a dream for days afterward.

But it was no dream. Perhaps Ananke had been attracted to him because of the strong divine heritage in his dwelling. A female was there too, and she contributed to the aura.

The male, she sensed, was a son of a son of Hermes and Athena herself. This son of Hermes was descended from a daughter of Zeus by a daughter of a son of Ares. There was a trace of Hades in there somewhere, from long ago.

For the female, hmmm … Aphrodite was one of her distant ancestors, as were Athena and Hermes, but directly she had been conceived of a daughter of Hestia and Apollo.

Both of them had a smattering of various minor gods as well. It would seem that this bloodline was very striking, enough to attract even the attention of a primordial who had not chosen a male in eons.

Ananke enjoyed the male's flavors of inheritance and blessed to female with a special gift. She was not maternal, but Ananke did not want to eliminate the child she had created with such a unique birthright. So the female received the son she had longed for and Ananke floated off again, musing and unnoticed.

* * *

><p>"I've finally found the symbol Will noticed on his arm when he was checking him over." Charon announced to the assembled leaders, grim-faced. "Ananke, the mother of the Fates."<p>

There was a stunned silence. The Fates were the oldest powers that existed, weren't they? How could anyone be kin of _them? _How powerful would he be?

Then one comment that summed up the thoughts of everyone present:

"Well, this explains a lot."

* * *

><p>AN: Again, not too much action, more of an info-chapter. But things get interesting soon ... in like, a couple of chapters or so.

Mara jade chase: Hey, I'm glad you think carefully enough to "nit-pick"! So in original Greek mythology, Hestia, Athena, and Artemis were all virgin goddesses. But Riordan obviously disregarded Athena's maidenhood, and so I did the same with Hestia. After all, she's the goddess of home, which generally includes family ... besides, it's not like there are any virigin gods.


	5. To Olympus

"How, exactly, is one supposed to communicate with a primordial?"

There were many questions; no one seemed to have answers.

"What does Ananke want?"

"Should he have a new cabin built?"

"How are we going to get him to accept this?"

"How long will it be before he escapes again?"

"Should we release him from the dungeon?"

"What if he kills someone? Or maims, or otherwise injures?"

"What if Ananke gets mad because we're trying to hold her son prisoner?"

"I believe we need to confer with the gods."

Everyone turned to Annabeth, the only one who had used a period in, oh, twenty minutes.

"Did you have a plan in mind?" Even Chiron seemed to have caught the question bug.

"Not a very fancy one. We'll knock him out, take him to Olympus, and talk to someone who can help us. I'm sure they'll accommodate, especially after they overlooked the Kronos issue."

"Very well. Allow me to take this a step further. Annabeth, will you take responsibility for escorting Alex to the best of your ability until the task is transferred to someone else by a higher power?"

Annabeth smiled without humor.

"Certainly."

* * *

><p>"Annabeth, are you sure?" Percy had caught up with his girlfriend once the meeting had adjourned, and now walked alongside her, frowning at her cold countenance. "I mean, great, you got a half-quest, but you have a … strong dislike … of the kid."<p>

Annabeth stopped walking. "I accepted _because_ I strongly dislike him."

"Annabeth, are you going to –"

"Sabotage him? No, of course not. But if I had declined, I may never see him again. He would have had the last word, so to speak. Now, he is going to tread on foreign soil. I'll more than likely have to save him at some point –"

"And you'll prove that he's no better than you." Percy sighed. "I get that, I guess. Just try not to get too carried away, 'kay?"

"I'm descended from Athena, not Ares. I know my limits _exactly_."

"I trust you. So, you can choose two companions other than Alex…"

"You, of course. And I think I'll take Lydia Lussio."

"Umm…oh! The second generation girl. Why her, of all people?"

"I wanted someone from Hestia, since these family matters can be delicate, and I need someone who knows how to pacify things. But all of the Hestia kids are so…timid. Lydia can soothe, but she's not too demure. Besides, she's ostracized by both of her immortal grandparents, and, well, maybe she should get a chance to prove herself."

Percy nodded. "Good thinking. Let's go ask her."

* * *

><p>Alex slipped out of his cell, keeping to the shadows. The lumpy, vaguely humanoid pile of bedding under the blanket would hold up to a casual glance, but any closer scrutiny and the alarm would be raised. He was not so far impressed with the place's internal security, but they had to have at least some night patrol.<p>

Silently gliding up the stairs, skipping the ones he had noticed creaking when his food was brought down, Alex kept his back to the wall and listened for human activity on the other side of the door.

And a giant wave erupted from the wooden gate, slamming him into the hard stone floor.

* * *

><p>Annabeth glanced down at the motionless boy before them.<p>

"Well, I guess that wasn't a _completely _brainless move, although I don't approve of all the destruction. The high-security dungeon was challenging to design, and even more difficult to build."

"Well, a lot of good it did keeping _him _in," Percy snorted. As Annabeth moved towards Alex, Percy caught her arm. "Wait. He has a habit of waking up at the perfect moments." He turned to Lydia. "Go get a squadron. Don't waste time explaining everything." She nodded silently and ran off.

Annabeth looked at him curiously. "What now?"

"Now, we wait for reinforcements and hope to Zeus there aren't any other surprises."

Alex woke up once and tried to fight, but he was still weak from being hit by a mini-tsunami and Percy hit him on the head with his shield. Soon enough Alex was knocked out properly with drugs and the campers began preparing him for the journey.

They discovered, during this process, that Alex was not a stubborn boy with temper-management issues. He was a homicidal maniac. For the next half hour, the conversation was peppered with gasps of shock and consternation, and the people kept glancing at him with a degree of paranoia as though he was expected to leap up and drink their blood.

"Hey, what's-*&^%$#! My hand!"

"Can we get a stretcher over here? And a pair of _non-metal_ tongs?"

"Careful! CAREFUL! The safety's off on that thing!"

"Make that _two_ stretchers! And anybody know how to deal with human tranquilizer?"

"My hand's still bleeding! It's still bleeding! Why isn't the knife coming _out_?"

By the time someone dropped an innocent blue button on the ground and it burst into tear gas, the general consensus was to take away everything found in contact with the demonic boy and lock it up somewhere far away from living things.

* * *

><p>Annabeth raised an eyebrow when she saw the shiny metal-plated "cello case" that contained their demi-primordial. "Could you be any more conspicuous?"<p>

"You don't understand!" the Hephaestus boy exclaimed, a haunted look in his eyes. "Don't make me remember…don't ask about it!" And he ran away.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I guess the Mist will have to work extra hard, then."

After another strong dose of somnifera, the boy was bound like a turkey and unceremoniously stuffed into the cello-shaped container. As long as the heavy bronze clasps stayed shut, the case was charmed to stay closed. And the clasps could only be unlocked from the outside.

They had three pegasi, for each of the currently conscious passengers. They would have a net suspended in between them carrying the heavy baggage. The Hephaestus cabin had forged the net based off the design that the blacksmith god himself had used to imprison Aphrodite and Ares during one of their trysts. It would probably hold up to anything Alex could try, if he somehow managed to wake up mid-flight and get out of his case.

"Are we ready?" Annabeth stood by her pegasus Icicle, a sleek cremello mare.

"As we'll ever be." Percy was riding Blackjack, of course. Who was none too happy about their weighty load, but was mollified once he realized he would be flying with two lovely equine females. He was currently occupied with holding his head high and flexing his legs every so often.

"Think we'll be killed by some irate immortal?" Lydia was rather calm about the whole situation, considering…well, everything. Her palomino mare Tawny matched her composure, coolly disregarding Blackjack's display.

"Maybe. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. Just curious."

"Okay then."

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>Zeus had called a meeting of the Olympians to discuss this possible threat. He needed the demi-primordial here to examine, and the demigods were thoughtfully bringing him to Olympus. And since they had taken it upon themselves, he figured he could call off the "escort" – or, rather, security detail – that he was going to assign.<p>

It was a decision he would remember with a little tinge of regret.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry this took so long. I've just been flooded with stuff lately. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!


	6. Harsher Than Others

They arrived at the foot of the skyscraper without any trouble. Once everyone was safely inside the elevator, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

"So this is your first mission, huh?" Percy asked Lydia. "You're pretty laidback about the whole thing."

Laidback wasn't quite the word to describe it, but Lydia nodded. "I've been told I'm a resigned sort of person. I work with what I have, and I don't waste time with complaints or regret."

"An excellent philosophy." Annabeth looked approving. "So do you have everything ready, Percy?"

"Watch-shield, check. Riptide in pocket, check. You?"

"I've got Aegis and my spear. I'm set. Lydia?"

"I don't carry weapons, but I do have a spare set of winged shoes in my bag."

"Perfect. We – Percy, _watch out!_" Annabeth's eyes widened in horror as she realized that the clasps of the cello case propped up right behind Percy were popping open, one by one. He jolted back just in time to avoid the flying tackle of the boy who was _supposed _to be safely locked away. Alex, unfazed by his evasion, propelled himself by his feet off of the elevator doors and lunged at Percy, snatching his watch off of his wrist and activating it. The large, unwieldy shield took up a lot of space and Alex used it to section off a quarter of the elevator. "Hand over the spear and the sword. Now," he commanded from behind the shield.

"How did you know … oh. Wait, _how _long have you been conscious for?"

"Not long enough," he snarled. "Kick. Your. Weapons. Over."

Annabeth growled. "As if." Before Percy could stop her, she had Aegis out and her spear unfolded and was lunging at Alex, who adeptly dived to one side, intending to brace himself against one wall.

Unfortunately for him, that wall contained the doors of the elevator, which happened to ding at that very moment. A startled Alex found himself hurtling through the air to crash into—

A cloud?

"Hmm. On second thought, maybe I should have sent them some backup," Zeus mused.

"Yes, you should have." Annabeth agreed quietly to herself, gracefully stepping out of the elevator, followed by Percy and Lydia. "I bring respectful greetings, gods and goddesses of Olympus. Can you explain?"

"Annabeth," her mother spoke, gaining her immediate attention. "This boy is named Alex Rider. He is the direct offspring of the primordial entity Ananke, overseer of bonds both psychological and physical, and the manifestation of necessity, compulsion, and inevitability. He is also distantly related to many immortals, myself included. And, in technical terms, he is the half-brother of the Fates."

Percy gaped. Lydia froze. And Annabeth asked a question. "Is that why no restraints could hold him for very long? Even the charmed locks?"

"Yes, daughter. The more he exercises his control over bonds, the more powerful he becomes. It is only a matter of time before he is able to manipulate emotional ties as well. Alright, you may let him down now, Nephele. There is nothing more we can say that he should not hear."

A vague, mistily white shape of a woman floated down from where she had taken Alex, out of earshot, and placed him on his feet next to Annabeth. Athena smiled. "Thank you, dear cloud. That will be all." Nephele condensed in what might have been a bow and evaporated away.

* * *

><p>Alex, who had been unsuccessfully trying to get away from this … thing … had no idea what he could think. Being kidnapped by a crazy cult wasn't <em>good, <em>by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it was _comprehensible. _Being taken for a ride by a talking cloud and standing in front of massive people dressed like the Greek gods in an eerily realistic rendition of a modern Mount Olympus was rather less easily processed.

So he did the only natural thing there was to do. Something he was apparently making a habit of.

He grabbed Percy Jackson by the throat and used him as a human shield. Whoever he was, he seemed to have considerable value at the last cult camp. "I'm going now, thanks for the hospitality," he hissed to the holograms – they could only be holograms – of Greek gods. "If I meet _any _opposition whatsoever, this boy is going to pay with blood." He retreated towards the elevator, keeping one eye on his audience and one on the exit.

Athena was more exasperated than frightened or shocked. Hadn't she _warned _them that something like this was bound to happen? She waved her hand, and an entourage of owls swooped down from nowhere, picking Alex up bodily and setting him down before her.

"Have some sense, won't you?" she said condescendingly. "Sit."

Alex, after getting over his initial shock, thought that it might be best to play along, for now. No one was very fazed by his brief hostage-taking, and he couldn't exactly hurt a hologram. Besides, they looked like they wanted to talk, which was almost always good. It was a chance for him to gain information and understand his situation and learn more about these people. So he sat in the wicker chair that appeared behind him (trapdoor, he assumed). The woman – who was probably supposed to be Athena – nodded with satisfaction. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself?"

"After you."

Athena sighed, _almost_ rolling her eyes, and looked to her right. She met someone's gaze inquiringly, and before Alex could see who she had gotten permission from Athena spoke again. "Very well. But only because we wish for this meeting to commence without further conflict or delay. Do not expect such indulgence in the future."

The chair spun suddenly so that he was looking at a regal woman with high cheekbones and hair so black it was almost blue, decked in a splendid gown of peacock feathers.

"I am Hera, Queen of the Gods, Patroness of Marriage and Protector of Motherhood."

The chain shifted counterclockwise so Alex was facing an imposing marble throne, larger than any of the others, which supported a man clutching a lightning bolt. Zeus.

"I am Zeus, Monarch of the Gods, Master of the Heavens, Emperor of Storms."

Again his seat moved, and this time so Alex was facing a man in a sea-glass throne.

"I am Poseidon, King of the Seas, Founder of Horses, Patron of Water."

And the chair turned so he was facing a new deity, each introducing him or herself, until he was again facing Athena.

"And I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Tact, Queen of Strategy, Patroness of Weaving. Hades has declined to come, as usual. And now –"

"Who is she?" Alex asked, gesturing at a small, taciturn woman by a hearth. She, unlike all of the others, was an actual person rather than an oversized but very realistic hologram.

"Hestia. Stop interrupting. We…"

But Alex was still looking at the reclusive figure by the fire. He knew that the ignored and overlooked were often the easiest to recruit for his cause – escape. He would keep an eye on "Hestia".

* * *

><p>"…and you, Alex, are such a child. Do you understand?"<p>

Alex sighed. Of course he understood. He had been told this fancy story countless times before, although "Zeus" told it condescendingly, as if he were wasting his time. Alex was not entirely impressed. "Yes." He gritted out. "I do."

For one, this made no scientific sense. The simplest flaw was that it wasn't possible for anything without DNA to pass on traits to their offspring. Alex guessed there were countless other faults in their reasoning, but he wasn't complaining, not aloud. Fanatics trying to convert him were better than fanatics trying to kill him, at least for now.

"Good. Because Lady Ananke has sent us a message. Moments before you arrived, she instructed us to send you to find the amulets she has scattered over the earth. Once you have proven yourself, you will be reunited with the Lady. Do you accept?" Zeus was tapping his fingers now, eager to get this over with.

This was taking it too far. "That's ridiculous."

"Well chosen. Now – wait, what did you say?" Zeus was obviously caught off guard by his answer. For a supposed divine king, he wasn't all that perceptive.

"Amulets? Across the _earth?" _A sudden thought occurred to Alex. "Am I doing this alone?" Was he being handed a ticket out of here?

"Of course not. Your fellow half-bloods there will accompany you. They have already accepted the quest to escort and assist you until the matter between Lady Ananke and you are resolved."

"Too bad. They'll have to go home. I'm not having anything to do with this ludicrous 'quest' you've set up. I rej-" The words were half out of Alex's mouth before his tattoo throbbed. He ignored it. "-ect it completely."

_Accept,_ a frustrated voiced hissed inside his head. _Accept!_

_No! _was his first thought, before he had the chance to wonder at the voice's identity.

Suddenly a white flash of pain blazed up his arm and engulfed him. He couldn't remember falling, but he was on the ground, writhing in agony, clutching his arm.

"Wh-who—" he choked out, not sure if he was speaking aloud and not caring through the invisible torture.

_Do not push the limits of inevitability, boy! Do not become arrogant because of the little semblance of control you possess over compulsion and bonds! I am the sole queen of such things, and you WILL_

A torturous fire burned through him.

_NOT_

His body convulsed unnaturally.

_DEFY_

An inhuman shriek ripped from his lips

_ME!_

And as suddenly as it came, the pain disappeared, leaving Alex gasping on the ground, his tear-stained face tensed and sore.

* * *

><p>"What's happening?" Lydia cried. Percy and Annabeth stood silently, aghast.<p>

Hera turned her elegant face towards the horrified demigods. Her apathy was reflected in the faces of all of the gods (maybe not Hestia, but no one was really looking at her).

"Some parents are harsher than others," the goddess of motherhood stated indifferently.

* * *

><p><em>AN: What a mother._

_Thank you all for your wonderful and encouraging reviews!_

_**yashendra2797**, **roshane**, **o**, **The-Dancing-Fox**, **Anonymous**: Don't worry, I have every intention of writing and updating!_

_**Mara Jade Chase**: Thanks for the regular and constructive reviews._

_**Major** **Simi**: Oh yes ..._


	7. One Minute

"I will ask you one more time, Alex Rider," Zeus boomed once the boy had stopped convulsing and had managed unsteadily to support himself on his feet. "Will you accept this quest?"

"Yes," Alex replied weakly. He was much too worn and overwhelmed to add anything else to the word.

"That settles everything, then." Zeus sounded annoyed at how much time this ordeal had taken. "Athena has taken it upon herself to inform you of the details." He waved his hand dismissively, and disappeared.

The gods dispersed until Athena alone was sitting in her throne, and she beckoned them forward, stepping off of her magnificent seat, shrinking herself till she was only a foot or so taller than Percy.

Alex swayed dangerously, and stumbled a bit. Lydia's brow furrowed. "He doesn't seem to be in the best of shape. Maybe we should do this later."

Athena sighed. "You are being far too demanding of the gods. You are mortals – you can die. You are inferior. Remember that.

"But he does seem…unstable. Very well. Lydia Lussio, you have a reservation at Hotel Roger Williams under the name Ann Aankey. Go escort Alex Rider to your suite, and Annabeth and Percy will tell you what I am about to inform them. Don't worry about Alex escaping … I'm sure his mother will keep him in line."

Lydia shuddered at that, but nodded and turned to go to the elevator, but had trouble supporting Alex's weight. She almost tripped once, but Nephele appeared and gently righted her again before floating both of them to the elevator.

"Well then," Athena continued as if there had been no interruption. "I think I should show you this." She held out her hand. Percy and Annabeth saw three crystal marbles resting gently on her palm. Swirls of smoke hovered in the center of each. "Zeus received five of these from Lady Ananke, along with instructions. According to her, they contain identical messages. Zeus used one by himself, one was shown to a gathering of the gods, and one is to be used now." She gingerly selected a marble from her palm and held it between her thumb and forefinger. "Watch closely."

She let it drop – at least, the sphere should have dropped. Instead, it plunged for one moment and then stayed suspended, as though it was connected to Athena's hand with a string. Slowly, the crystal shell began to grow thinner and thinner until there was no barrier holding the misty substance inside. The thin white smoke grew in size and density, becoming a globe of the Earth, with raised mountains and sunken seas but no color. Shining Greek script encircled it in coils and coils. Percy was saved the chore of reading them when the words began speaking themselves in an ethereal voice, inhuman and unforgettable:

"_These are the commands of Ananke, Primordial Entity of Destiny and Fate, of Inevitability, Circumstance, Necessity, and Compulsion, and of Bonds and Ties Physical, Emotional, and Psychological. These are the instructions of Ananke, ancestor of the Universe, direct mother of Chaos, Aether, Phanes, and Erebos by Khronos, and mother of the three sisters Klotho, Lakhesis, and Atropos, collectively known as the Moirai – that is, the Fates. _

"_My son, my first son in forty thousand eons, my first child ever by a human, will have been named in the human language of English. He will first be brought to Olympus. Once he is presented and introduced, you will inform him of this quest, which he will accept. The quest is as follows:_

"_I have scattered thirteen orbs of elemental crystal around the Earth, each encrusted within an amulet. If Alex Rider, son of John Rider, son of James Matthew Rider, son of the goddess Athena by Matthew Rider, son of the god Hermes by Janet Yvonne Kirk, daughter of Yvonne Myrsky, daughter of the god Zeus by Edith Natalya Arelev, daughter of the god Ares by Sonya Cladastina-Arelev, hereafter referred to as "Alex", is able to collect all thirteen spheres, his rightful mother will recognize him as her own and will bestow upon him all the qualities distinctive of such descent. If he is unable to complete said task, his power will remain deficient and he will be condemned to a life of evading his enemies without assistance of his fulfilled potential. Alex should be aware that any aid he had hitherto received from his primordial mother will cease once he has matured to the human age of nineteen. He has, however, the entire length of his human lifetime to finish this quest._

"_Alex is allowed three demigod assistants – Annabeth Chase, daughter of the goddess Athena, Perseus Jackson, son of the god Poseidon, and Lydia Lussio, daughter of a daughter of the god Hermes and a son of the goddess Hestia, who will have been his escorts to Olympus. He should heed their counsel, and keep a clear, objective mind._

"_He will, too, have a divine guide in the form of Tyche, goddess of luck, chance, and fortune. But he should not rely upon her favor, for even Tyche will walk only the path set for her by Destiny."_

"_Now, the clue of the first crystal orb. This will not be repeated outside of this message, and you are strongly encouraged to memorize it._

_ "Narrow strip of hinged steel_

_ Bright to see but cold to feel_

_ Studded with large colored beads_

_ But only one is the one you need_

_ The one not garish in its taste_

_ Is the one that you must take_

_ Unwelcome will thy presence be_

_ To all but the one who sees_

_Do not stray from destiny_

_And Destiny shall set thee free"_

"_As this is the first step of many, I shall give you the luxury of a specific location. Alex knows exactly where I mean by 'Brookland Comprehensive'._

"_Zeus opens the first message, the congregation of gods views the second, Athena shows her daughter Annabeth Chase and Perseus Jackson son of Poseidon the third, Alex and his demigod aides see the fourth, and the fifth will be used at Alex's own leisure._

"_Go._

"_Thus says Ananke, mother of the three sisters Atropos, Lakhesis, and Klotho, jointly known as the Fates – that is, the Moirai, direct mother by Khronos of Erebos, Phanes, Aether, and Chaos, and ancestor of the Universe. Thus commands Ananke, Ancient Manifestation of Bonds and Ties Physical, Emotional, and Psychological, of Inevitability, Circumstance, Necessity, and Compulsion, and of Destiny and Fate."_

The voice ended its recitation and the hazy apparition vanished.

* * *

><p>Alex didn't remember very much about leaving. He vaguely recalled noises for a while, and he definitely blacked out somewhere. When he woke up, he was in a large, soft bed in a bedroom of what looked like a hotel. He got out of bed and opened the door, nearly crashing into the girl with wavy brown hair who was rushing in.<p>

_Lydia Lussio, _he remembered. "Where are we? What happened?" Lydia collected her breath, and then turned to close the door before looking at Alex.

"Well, we're at Hotel Roger Williams, which happens to be walking distance from the Empire State Building. It seemed ludicrous to call a cab for less than a quarter mile, but then you collapsed. I had to drag you up here. The hotel staff all thought you were terribly drunk – and in the middle of the day, too." She shook her head in a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Sit, Alex. We need to talk before Annabeth and Percy get here."

Alex was immediately on guard. What did she want? It could be that there was some internal struggle within the cult…or she could be helping him escape.

He sat on the leather chair next to the door, out of the line of sight of the windows. Lydia perched onto the mahogany footboard of the queen-sized bed.

"Your name. Alex Rider, right?" she asked as if she were going through a mental checklist.

"Yes…"

"Resourceful. Athletic. Observant. Excellent in hand-to-hand combat. Quick, clever reactions to events. Also stubborn, sometimes proud, and bad with accepting and handling emotions."

"What are you doing?" Alex demanded. This was setting off all sorts of alarms in his mind.

Someone knocked on the door.

"I hate you!" she suddenly screamed at Alex. Her voice was shrill and angry, but her eyes stared pointedly at him as if willing him to understand something. "I can't believe what _you are! Am I six?_ Can't _I_ _think_ for myself?"

"Lydia!" the muffled voice called from the other side of the door, agitated.

"Coming!" she yelled. Before she left the room, she gestured emphatically for Alex to keep quiet.

Alex's brow furrowed in thought. She was obviously trying to convey some sort of message to him, especially since her intonation was strange, and she put emphasis on odd words. For one short, crazy moment he could have sworn he had heard…

_I can't believe what you are am I six can't I think for myself_

It was impossible. But then again, who had ever staged an elaborate kidnapping just for a regular boy?

_Ican'tbelievewhat you are am I six can't I think formyself_

No one cared about Teenage Boy Alex. They all wanted Alex Rider the Spy.

_I can'tbelievewhat __**you are am I six **__can't __**I think **__formyself_

Teenage Boy Alex went to school and played football. Alex Rider the Spy went on missions, saved the world, and made enemies. This was the logical conclusion.

_**You are MI6, I think**_

* * *

><p>Today, Alex's rebellion could not have taken more than ten seconds.<p>

And today, Ananke's discipline of her son could not have lasted longer than a minute.

On urban streets, drivers could not have told you why at one point in the afternoon, traffic lights seemed to pause for longer than usual.

On the other side of the world, farmers who rose with the sun couldn't describe the little nagging feeling they had experienced upon waking, as if they were sleeping in somehow. It disappeared quickly, anyway.

In another world altogether, the Fates could not explain why they stopped working for a minute, more or less, as though unsure of what to measure out or weave or cut. They decided not to mention it.

Only one watchful primordial knew the truth, and observed in fascination as the part-human unknowingly challenged her power as no one had ever could.

Alex Rider was supposed to accept the quest when it was offered. He was _meant _to.

Ananke did not punish Alex for going against her whims, as the gods had assumed. He went against her _will_, and her will was the inevitable, the law of fate, the flow of circumstance.

No one had ever accomplished that. Even when people cursed their situation and tried to find a way out of something, it was all part of her plan. All part of their predestined paths, some to glory, some to destruction, most to something in between. But Alex had broken from the organized system of events. His actions had not been planned. And for the first time in her ancient existence Ananke felt as others did, not knowing exactly what would come next from his mouth, not knowing what thoughts were passing through his mind. It was a staggering blow. She had never felt so helpless or weak.

A lesser being would have struck Alex Rider down then and there, if only for fear of the unknown. But Ananke had no fear of the unknown – she was the unknown. That was an isolated incident, an anomaly. Ananke would not reduce herself to the actions of a lesser being because of that. Besides, everything would work out in the future. She had planned it that way. This thing of her creation, he only had to be corrected, disciplined, refined. She knew that the quest would do just that.

That is, unless something shakes the authority of fate again.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Plot twists! What, you didn't think I was going to abandon Alex's world completely, did you? Did you? Of course, he might just be paranoid..._

_Thanks for every one of your reviews. They really helped to remind me to update._

_**Rosiedude007, Mainn, yashendra2797: **Thanks so much!_

_**FD, Major Simi: **We'll see..._

_**Mara Jade Chase: **Oh, caught me again! Sorry, it's been a while since I've read Percy Jackson. I guess I gave her one because it was Athena's weapon of choice, but thanks for bringing that to my attention. And thank you for your reviews; I always look forward to them._

_**Kira Kyuu: **Kid needs a break, doesn't he? Unfortunately, life doesn't really work that way..._

_**silberstreif: **First off, thanks for that very thorough review. It made me smile. And as for your questions, well, all I can say is that everything will be revealed in due time ... :)_


	8. Aunt Tulip

"Lydia! Are you all right?"

Percy hurtled into the room yelling, just as Annabeth shouted, "Did he get away?"

Lydia stormed out of the bedroom. "Yeah, I'm _fine,_" she fumed. "And _he's_ still in there. Unfortunately."

"What now?" Percy sighed, exasperated.

"He is such a jerk! You don't want me to repeat the things that he was saying about me, my family, my mental stability …"

"Hey! You were the one who called me crazy!" Alex retorted from the doorway that he appeared in.

"After you insulted my –"

"Let's all calm down now, okay?" Annabeth tried to muster a soothing voice. It was difficult. _Didn't I ask for Lydia so _she _could be keeping the peace? _"I'm not sure what happened here, and it sounds like if I try to ask, you two will just start pointing fingers. No offense, but that's just how these situations generally turn out. Now, we have something _very _important to tell you. So let's make peace, be friends, and pay attention. Sit, both of you."

Alex, apparently recovered from his unsteadiness, smoothly strolled over and sat in the loveseat that Lydia was clearly heading towards. She scowled at his smug expression, and went angrily to another seat on the far side of the room. Percy rolled his eyes and Annabeth let out a hiss of impatient breath. This was not a good way to start off what seemed like an incredibly complex and extensive quest.

* * *

><p>If Alex was not an agent at all (though there was little chance of that), he certainly had the acting skills to be one. When he had first entered the room all furious and scornful, Lydia almost rushed over and apologized. She had to remind herself that Alex was not <em>actually <em>mad at her, that they were both pretending, and that she needed to tell her peace loving instincts to shut up.

Luckily, the granddaughter of Hermes was not too bad of an actress herself.

Percy and Annabeth described their conversation with Athena and what they had seen, and Percy pulled out two transparent marbles from his pocket. He handed one to Annabeth, who clutched it gingerly between two fingers before letting it drop.

Lydia gaped as the smoke wound itself into the shape of letters, coils and coils of Grecian script. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Annabeth grab the pen and pad of paper embossed with the hotel logo lying on the table behind her. Then the voice started talking, and Lydia was entirely focused on the scene before her.

* * *

><p><em>No. Impossible. Optical illusion.<em> _Smoke and mirrors, literally. Smoke, mirrors, and a voice recording. _Alex shook his head internally. And when Percy held out the other marble for him to take, he shook his head physically. "Why don't you hang on to it for now?" _It's a tracker, remote-detonated bomb or something along those lines. _"I wouldn't want to break it."

"You think I want to risk your mom's wrath if I damage it?" Percy snorted, but slipped the clear sphere back into his pocket.

"Look, Percy and I have to go figure out what we're eating for dinner tonight, so while we go ask the receptionist some questions, why don't you two try to get along?"

Lydia sighed with a mixture of reluctance and guilt. She was good at this. Could she be a… "All right, I'm sorry, Alex. Let's not fight, 'kay?"

"_There's _some Hestia showing through," Percy encouraged. "Be back in twenty."

As soon as the door clicked shut, Lydia stood and opened her mouth eagerly before Alex glared at her and shook his head. _Not an agent, then. At least, not a competent one. _He jerked his head towards the door. Lydia followed his gaze and sat back down as her eyes widened in understanding.

"So why don't we talk?" she suggested in a pleasant tone. Before Alex could reply, she put a finger to her lips and pointed at herself. **Wait for me to finish. **"No? I guess I'll start then. So…what do you know about … um … tulips?"

Tulips, huh? "The only time I've ever learned anything about tulips was when I read this column by someone named Jones. It was all about this Royal brand General Soil Mix. I'll be blunt; it was way too advanced for me. Don't laugh. Gardeners are so secretive about their operations," Alex articulated carefully. Might as well try. If Lydia doesn't understand … well, unless he was completely over-reading their earlier exchange, she should.

"Yeah, I guess. Although once you start spending time around them, it's surprising what you pick up. Anyway … boring topic. Let's talk about you. You have quite the reputation, Alex Rider."

* * *

><p>Annabeth gave a tight smile. Their conversation seemed innocent enough, even if it was mind-numbingly dull. Tulips, of all things. She was glad Lydia was living up to her Hestia heritage. Still, she had her suspicions. The daughter of Athena was running the facts over and over in her head, and something just wasn't right. But there didn't seem to be anything else to learn for now, and she promised herself that she would think about it some more. She made eye contact with Percy. He nodded and peeled his ear off of the dark wooden door, and they walked towards the elevator at the far end of the hallway.<p>

* * *

><p>Maybe he could have thought that she was talking about his reputation among the cult, but with the conversation they had just had, and the way he was staring at him so purposefully, there could be no mistaking just which reputation she was referring to.<p>

"I suppose I might." Alex listened carefully. Their eavesdropping couple was gone. "We're safe now. Tulip Jones?"

"I just wanted to make sure, and that was the first thing that came to mind. Anyway, let me give you a little background. I used to visit the Royal and General regularly as a child. And you learn a lot, hanging around MI6 agents all the time."

"Wait, they just let you in? And then you suddenly figured out what the bank was?" Alex was beyond skeptical. "Did you work for them?"

"You're unique in what you've done, Alex."_Evasion, _Alex thought. "It's just that, well, with my lineage, I can tease an answer out of an unsuspecting 'civilian' occasionally."

"Interrogation."

"Not exactly, and not exclusively," she responded. "But that's one aspect of it." Her expression became pensive. "In fact, I don't think Hestia ever forgave me for abusing her gifts." Alex noticed that Lydia's soft face became hard and bitter for a moment. _There's a story behind that._

"So you claim to have worked for them." The MI6 he knew would never risk hiring a child as an interrogator, if only because she would be revealed on a far-too-regular basis. After all, the point of questioning was to get an answer, and what if their subject happened to be innocent? This story was terribly shabby.

"No, I … long story, okay? Just … forget it." In his mind, Alex filed away her reluctance to speak for later examination. "Anyway, we're at the interesting part. I learned about _you._"

"Me. I'm supposed to be classified."

"Well, Rumor has always been Zeus' most persistent messenger. Besides, my aunt told me."

"Is your aunt supposed to be an agent?" Alex's eyebrows had not been lowered through the entire conversation. He wasn't sure how this cult knew about his MI6 background, but if they were trying to manipulate him with the information, they were doing a deplorable job of it.

"Sort of, I guess? Why do you ask? You know her."

Alex was becoming impatient. Whatever talents this girl thought she inherited from the gods, coherent storytelling wasn't one of them. "I do?"

"Wait, you don't know who I'm talking about?"

"_No_. I _don't._"

"But … she hasn't told you?"

"Lydia. No."

"She never …" suddenly Lydia's eyes grew wide. "You're not working for them anymore!"

_What the hell is this girl playing at?_

"That's why she hasn't been able to tell you! That's why you never knew about this world. Oh my goodness, you don't even think any of this is real!"

"Are you going to tell me who 'she' is or not?" Though his words were casual enough, Alex was tensing for a fight-or-flight reaction. If the other members knew that he didn't actually believe them…

"Oh, yeah. Yeah." Lydia shook her head, composing herself. "This explains so much. Look, all we have to do is contact her. Once she clarifies everything, you'll understand," she assured him confidently.

"Who is she?" Alex pressed.

"My Aunt Tulip, of course."

* * *

><p>AN:_ Yes, I know that I have not updated in a long time. Sorry, I've been busy. This story is completely mapped out, though, so I have no intentions of letting it die!_

_In other news, I just watched the movie version of _Tintin. _I've always loved the series, and the movie, in my opinion, did it justice. The point is, I am shamelessly advertising the Alex Rider / Tintin oneshot crossover that is fresh off the press. If you have time, and would like to make someone very happy ... thanks in advance!_

_Reviews are cherished, as always. They are a great reminder for me to keep updating, and that's not just bribery._

__**Mainn, Kira Kyuu: **Thank you very much for taking the time to review!

**Major Simi: **I'm afraid I don't really follow ... ?

**Mara jade chase: **Thanks for the support, as always! I'm glad to have passed your test :)

**The First Gatekeeper: **Does this explain a bit? And to answer your other question ... I'm afraid I can't answer your question ;)

**kakita 101: **Thanks. I was going to do one of the Fates, but then Ananke conveniently existed.


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